Coach Christopher Nimley has sounded strong words of caution to LA Galaxy forward Joseph Paintsil, urging him to focus on his club career after being left out of Ghana’s squad ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Paintsil missed out on the previous World Cup after then Black Stars coach Otto Addo omitted him from the final squad, and a similar situation appears to have unfolded under new Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz.
Queiroz recently named a 28-man Ghana squad for the pre-World Cup friendly against Wales, with Ghana Football Association Communications Director, Henry Asante Twum, revealing that the final 26-man World Cup squad will be selected from that list.
The development has effectively ended Paintsil’s hopes of making the tournament and has sparked debate among Ghanaian football followers, especially considering the winger’s performances at club level over the last two seasons.
Reacting to the omission, Nimley, who also works as a football pundit, advised the former Genk attacker on Citi FM’s Sports Panorama to concentrate on helping LA Galaxy achieve success in the Major League Soccer rather than worrying about national team selection.
“My genuine advice to Paintsil is that, as long as Kurt Okraku is there, he should focus on club football.”
Coach Christopher Nimley, via Sports Panorama on Citi FM
Nimley Questions Selection Decisions
Nimley went further by comparing Paintsil’s performances with some of the players who made the squad and insisted the Galaxy winger has done enough to merit consideration.
According to him, Paintsil’s influence and consistency at club level surpass that of several players currently in the national team setup especially Atalata’s Kamaldeen Sulemana. “Joseph Paintsil is far better than Kamaldeen Sulemana. Kamaldeen has played for the Black Stars for close to six years and has only one goal,” Nimley stated.
The comments are likely to generate fresh discussions among supporters, particularly because Paintsil has remained one of Ghana’s most productive attacking players abroad in recent years.
While injuries disrupted parts of his campaign, the 28-year-old has continued to play a key role for LA Galaxy. This season, he has registered four goals and three assists in 17 appearances across all competitions and has remained a regular starter whenever fit.
Paintsil also enjoyed an impressive 2025 season, contributing 15 goals and six assists in 34 matches across all competitions for the MLS side.
World Cup Door Appears Closed
In contrast, Kamaldeen Sulemana endured a difficult season after securing a move to Atalanta Bergamo from Southampton. The winger was used sparingly throughout the campaign and made most of his appearances from the bench, struggling to establish himself as a regular starter.
Paintsil, on the other hand, has consistently featured for LA Galaxy and remains one of the club’s key attacking outlets whenever available.
Ghana are currently in Cardiff putting the finishing touches to preparations for Tuesday’s international friendly against Wales as they continue their build-up to the World Cup.
With the tournament set to be hosted in North America, some observers have questioned Paintsil’s exclusion, considering his familiarity with the environment and conditions. The winger has spent the last two seasons in the United States and would have arrived at the tournament already acclimatized to the region.
Despite his omission, Paintsil is expected to return his full attention to LA Galaxy as the MLS season returns after the global showpiece, with the forward aiming to help the club climb the standings and challenge for honours.
For now, however, another World Cup dream has slipped away from one of Ghana’s most exciting attacking talents.
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